Method and system for positioning state transition

ABSTRACT

A method and system for detecting a transition in positioning state of a mobile device relative to an indoor facility. The method, executed in a processor of the mobile device, comprises monitoring, based at least in part on global positioning system (GPS) data, for a positioning state of the mobile device as one of an indoor and an outside location relative to an indoor facility, determining a set of probabilistic weightings for respective ones of ambient data and the GPS data, the ambient data including one or more of received signal strength data, signal connectivity data, magnetic data, ambient lighting data and barometric data, and detecting a transition in positioning state of the mobile device from one of the indoor and the outside locations to another of the indoor and the outside locations when a weighted sum value based at least in part on the set of probabilistic weightings is one of above and below a predetermined state transition value.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. application Ser.No. 15/803,082 filed Nov. 3, 2017, now issued as U.S. patent Ser. No.______, and hereby incorporates said U.S. application Ser. No.15/803,082 in the entirety herein.

BACKGROUND

Users of mobile devices are increasingly using and depending upon indoorpositioning and navigation applications and features. Seamless, accurateand dependable indoor positioning can be difficult to achieve usingsatellite-based navigation systems when the latter becomes unavailable,or sporadically available, and therefore unreliable, such as withinenclosed or partially enclosed urban infrastructure and buildings,including hospitals, shopping malls, airports, universities andindustrial warehouses. An institution, such as a hospital, airport,university or shopping complex may typically consist of separatebuildings or indoor facilities interconnected via pedestrian pathswithin a campus, traversal of which might involve transitioningrepeatedly from indoor to outdoor and vice versa.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates, in an example embodiment, a position statetransition detection system including a mobile device.

FIG. 2 illustrates an architecture of a mobile device having a positionstate transition detection capability, in one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates, in an example embodiment, a method of operation of aposition state transition detection system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments herein provide for automatic detection of a transition inpositioning or location state of a mobile device relative to an indoorfacility or building, such as a transition from an indoor to an outsidelocation and vice versa, based on determining, and deploying, a statetransition parameter.

Among other benefits and technical effects, it is recognized that aninitial indication from global positioning system (GPS) data as towhether a mobile device is located either indoor or outside but nearby abuilding or indoor facility, may not in fact be dispositive, orsufficiently dispositive, as to a true location state of the mobiledevice, at least partly because GPS data may be limited in accuracy, orotherwise unreliable in regard to non-line of sight (NLOS) contexts suchas an indoor facility. In one embodiment, the mobile device may initiatedetermining a set of probabilistic weightings for one or more of signalstrength data, signal connectivity data, magnetic data, and barometricdata and the GPS data. In embodiments, a transition in positioning stateof the mobile device from one of the indoor and the outside locations toanother of the indoor and the outside locations may be detecteddepending on whether a weighted sum value based at least in part on theset of probabilistic weightings transitions to either above or below apredetermined state transition value. The term GPS as used hereinencompasses alternative satellite-based navigation schemes.

Also provided is a mobile device including a processor and a memorystoring a set of computer instructions. The instructions are executablein the processor to monitor, based at least in part on globalpositioning system (GPS) data, for a positioning state of the mobiledevice as one of an indoor and an outside location relative to an indoorfacility, and to determine a set of probabilistic weightings forrespective ones of ambient data and the GPS data, the ambient dataincluding one or more of signal strength data, signal connectivity data,magnetic data, and barometric data. A transition in positioning state ofthe mobile device from one of the indoor and the outside locations toanother of the indoor and the outside locations may be detected when aweighted sum value based at least in part on the set of probabilisticweightings is one of above and below a predetermined state transitionvalue.

One or more embodiments described herein provide that methods,techniques, and actions performed by a computing device are performedprogrammatically, or as a computer-implemented method. Programmatically,as used herein, means through the use of code or computer-executableinstructions. These instructions can be stored in one or more memoryresources of the computing device. A programmatically performed step mayor may not be automatic.

One or more embodiments described herein can be implemented usingprogrammatic modules, engines, or components. A programmatic module,engine, or component can include a program, a sub-routine, a portion ofa program, or a software component or a hardware component capable ofperforming one or more stated tasks or functions. As used herein, amodule or component can exist on a hardware component independently ofother modules or components. Alternatively, a module or component can bea shared element or process of other modules, programs or machines.

A mobile device as described herein may be implemented, in whole or inpart, on mobile computing devices such as cellular or smartphones,laptop computers, wearable computer devices, and tablet devices. Memory,processing, and network resources may all be used in connection with theuse and performance of embodiments described herein, including with theperformance of any method or with the implementation of any system.

Furthermore, one or more embodiments described herein may be implementedthrough the use of instructions that are executable by one or moreprocessors. These instructions may be carried on a computer-readablemedium. In particular, machines shown with embodiments herein includeprocessor(s) and various forms of memory for holding data andinstructions. Examples of computer-readable mediums and computer storagemediums include portable memory storage units, and flash memory (such ascarried on smartphones). A mobile device as described herein utilizesprocessors, memory, and instructions stored on computer-readable medium.Embodiments described herein may be implemented in the form of computerprograms stored on computer memory mediums.

System Description

FIG. 1 illustrates, in an example embodiment, position state transitiondetection system 100 including mobile device 101. Mobile device 101 maybe such as a cellular or smartphone, a laptop or a tablet computer, or awearable computer device that is operational for telephony, messaging,and data computing. Mobile device 101 may be connected within a computernetwork system, including the internet or other wide area network, toone or more remote server computing devices. Mobile device 101 mayinclude positioning state transition logic module 105, the latterembodied according to computer processor—executable instructions storedwithin a memory of, or otherwise accessible to a processor of, mobiledevice 101. In alternate embodiments, it is contemplated that one ormore portions of positioning state transition logic module 105 may bestored at the remote server computing devices while beingcommunicatively accessible to mobile device 101 via the computer networksystem.

A navigation, or positioning, software application downloaded andinstalled, or stored, in a memory of mobile device 101 may renderphysical layout map 102 related to an indoor facility or building withina user interface display of mobile device 101. In one embodiment, thenavigation software application may incorporate positioning statetransition logic module 105. The terms indoor facility or building asused herein means an at least partially enclosed building having atleast one fixed boundary, such as an exterior boundary wall. Display ofphysical layout map 102 may further show trajectory or route 103traversed by the mobile device, which may further include an estimatedtrajectory segment predicted or recommended for traversal by mobiledevice 101. Physical layout map 102 may further depict one or more mapconstraint features 104, such as an internal wall or other mapconstraint feature including a doorway, a facility exit, a physicalmarker fixed in place, a facility entrance, a stairwell, a stairway, acorridor, an elevator, and an external boundary outline of the indoorfacility.

FIG. 2 illustrates an architecture of mobile device 101 having aposition state transition detection capability, in one embodiment.Mobile device 101 may include processor 201, memory 202, display screen203, input mechanisms 204 such as a keyboard or software-implementedtouchscreen input functionality, barcode, QR code or other symbol- orcode-scanner input functionality. Mobile device 102 may include sensorfunctionality by way of sensor devices 205. Sensor devices 205 mayinclude inertial sensors such as an accelerometer and a gyroscope, andmagnetometer or other magnetic field sensing functionality, barometricor other ambient pressure sensing functionality, and ambient lightingsensors, such as to detect ambient lighting intensity. Mobile device 102may also include capability for detecting and communicatively accessingambient wireless communication signals including but not limited to anyof Bluetooth and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, RFID, and alsoglobal positioning system (GPS) signals. Mobile device 102 furtherincludes the capability for detecting, via sensor devices 205, andmeasuring a received signal strength, and of determining signalconnectivity parameters, related to the ambient wireless signals. Inparticular, mobile device 102 may include location determinationcapability such as by way of GPS module 206 having a GPS receiver, andcommunication interface 207 for communicatively coupling tocommunication network 208, such as by sending and receiving cellulardata over data and voice channels.

Positioning state transition logic module 105 includes instructionsstored in memory 202 of mobile device 101. In embodiments, positioningstate transition logic module 105 may be included in a mobile devicenavigation application program stored in memory 202 of mobile device102. The term indoor location as used herein refers to a location withinthe facility or building, such as within a shopping mall, an airport, awarehouse, a university campus, or any at least partially enclosedbuilding. Positioning state transition logic module 105 may comprisesub-modules including position monitoring module 210, signal weightingsmodule 211 and transition detecting module 212.

Processor 201 uses executable instructions stored in position monitoringmodule 210 to monitor, based at least in part on GPS 206 module data,for a positioning state of mobile device 101 as one of an indoor and anoutside location relative to an indoor facility. The term positioningstate as used herein refers to a position or location state of a mobiledevice, such as carried by a mobile device user, relative to an indoorfacility or building. Thus, the positioning state may be described usinglocation classifications such an indoor state within the facility, anoutside state which means outside of, but near, the facility, and afaraway state which means outside and far away from the facility. Inembodiments, upon detecting, based on the monitoring, the positioningstate of mobile device 101 as an outside location, processor 201 inconjunction with position monitoring module 210 initiates receiving atleast one of magnetic data, inertial sensor data, signal strength data,signal connectivity data, ambient lighting data and barometric data,from sensors 205 in one embodiment, at mobile device 101. The inertialsensor data maybe acquired from at least one of an accelerometer and agyroscope of 101 mobile device, in an embodiment.

In an embodiment, if determined, based on the GPS data, that thepositioning state is a faraway state of the mobile device relative tothe indoor facility, using processor 201, at least some sensors, andtheir associated data computations in processor 201, such as barometric,ambient lighting, magnetic, and wireless signal sensors upon which thesignal strength and signal connectivity data are based may beselectively switched off or selectively switched to a low power sleepmode to reduce mobile device 101 electrical power consumption.

Processor 201 uses executable instructions stored in signal weightingsmodule 211 to determine a set of probabilistic weightings for respectiveones of a set of ambient data and the GPS data, the set of ambient dataincluding one or more of received signal strength data, signalconnectivity data, magnetic field data, ambient lighting data andbarometric data.

Processor 201 uses executable instructions stored in transitiondetecting module 212 to detect a transition in positioning state ofmobile device 101 from one of the indoor and the outside locations toanother of the indoor and the outside locations when a weighted sumvalue based at least in part on the set of probabilistic weightings isone of above and below a predetermined state transition value. In oneembodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioning state isfrom the outside to the indoor location, the instructions embodied intransition detecting module 212 provide for initiating display of afacility layout map of the indoor location showing at least one of amobile device 101 position and an estimated trajectory segment withinthe indoor location based on computations by the processor. Thecomputations may be based on the at least one of inertial sensor data,the received signal strength and signal connectivity data, the magneticdata, the barometric data and a historical set of trajectory dataassociated with the indoor location. The display of the facility layoutmap may include a map constraint feature including one or more of adoorway, an exit, a physical marker, an entrance, a wall, a stairwell, astairway, a corridor, an elevator, and a boundary outline of the indoorfacility.

In one embodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioningstate is from the indoor to the outside location, the instructionsembodied in transition detecting module 212 are executable to terminatethe display of the facility layout map, or displaying the map accordingto at least one of a reduced brightness level and a reduced intensitylevel, thus reducing electrical power consumed by the processor.

In another embodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioningstate is from the indoor to the outside location, the instructionsembodied in transition detecting module 212 are further executable toterminate the computations in processor 201 related to any of theinertial sensor data, the received signal strength and connectivitydata, the magnetic data, the ambient lighting data, the barometric dataand the historical set of trajectory data associated with the indoorlocation, again resulting in reduced electrical power consumed byprocessor 201.

Methodology

FIG. 3 illustrates, in an example embodiment, a method of operation ofposition state transition detection system 100. In describing examplesof FIG. 3, reference is made to the examples of FIGS. 1-2 for purposesof illustrating suitable components or elements for performing a step orsub-step being described.

Examples of method steps described herein relate to the use of mobiledevice 101 for implementing the techniques described. According to oneembodiment, the techniques are performed by positioning state transitionlogic module 105 of mobile device 101 in response to the processor 201executing one or more sequences of software logic instructions thatconstitute positioning state transition logic module 105. Inembodiments, positioning state transition logic module 105 may includethe one or more sequences of instructions within sub-modules includingposition monitoring module 210, signal weightings module 211 andtransition detecting module 212. Such instructions may be read intomemory 202 from machine-readable medium, such as memory storage devices.Execution of the sequences of instructions contained in positionmonitoring module 210, signal weightings module 211 and transitiondetecting module 212 of positioning state transition logic module 105 inmemory 202 causes processor 201 to perform the process steps describedherein. In alternative implementations, at least some hard-wiredcircuitry may be used in place of, or in combination with, the softwarelogic instructions to implement examples described herein. Thus, theexamples described herein are not limited to any particular combinationof hardware circuitry and software instructions. Additionally, it iscontemplated that in alternative embodiments, the techniques, orportions thereof, may be distributed between the mobile device 101 and aremote server computing device. For example, the mobile device maycollect and transmit data to the server that, in turn, performs at leastsome portion of the techniques described herein.

At step 310, monitoring, based at least in part on global positioningsystem (GPS) data, for a positioning state of mobile device 101 as oneof an indoor and an outside location relative to an indoor facility.

In embodiments, upon detecting, based on the monitoring, the positioningstate of mobile device 101 as an outside location, processor 201 inconjunction with position monitoring module 210 initiates receiving atleast one of magnetic data, inertial sensor data, signal strength data,signal connectivity data, ambient lighting data and barometric data,from sensors 205 in one embodiment, at mobile device 101. The inertialsensor data maybe acquired from at least one of an accelerometer and agyroscope of 101 mobile device, in an embodiment.

In an embodiment, if determined, based on the GPS data, that thepositioning state is a faraway state of the mobile device relative tothe indoor facility, using processor 201, at least some sensors, andtheir associated data computations in processor 201, such as barometric,ambient lighting, magnetic, and wireless signal sensors upon which thesignal strength and signal connectivity data are based may be switchedoff or switched to a low power sleep mode to reduce mobile device 101electrical power consumption.

At step 320, determining a set of probabilistic weightings forrespective ones of ambient data and the GPS data. The ambient data mayinclude one or more of signal strength data, signal connectivity data,magnetic data, ambient lighting data and barometric data. In oneembodiment, the set of probabilistic weighting values for respectiveones of the signal strength data, the signal connectivity data, themagnetic data and the barometric data are determined based at leastpartly on a pre-existing calibrated fingerprint map of the indoorlocation. Probabilistic weightings may be assigned at time of buildingcalibration depending on building particulars. For example, existence ofskylight(s) over a building floor may result in a higher GPSprobabilistic weighting due to a higher confidence level in the accuracyof attendant GPS signals.

The terms fingerprint and fingerprint data as used herein refer totime-correlated, individual measurements of any combination of receivedwireless communication signal strength and signal connectivityparameters, magnetic field parameters (strength, direction) orbarometric pressure parameters, and mobile device inertial sensor dataat known, particular locations relative to an indoor facility orbuilding. In other words, a fingerprint may include sensor and signalcharacteristics (including but not necessarily limited to wirelesssignal strength, magnetic, barometric, ambient lighting, and inertialsensor information) correlated with respective unique locations atrespective given instances in time during a positioning calibrationprocess in or near a building. The unique location may be along asequence of positions or locations that constitute a navigation pathtraversed by the mobile device relative to the indoor facility orbuilding while recording time- and position-correlated sensor and signalcharacteristics or signatures, for instance. The fingerprint data may beacquired by way of ambient signal parameter measurements and mobiledevice inertial sensor measurements during a calibration processperformed to map the fingerprint data in relation to a given indoorfacility physical layout. In some embodiments, given that sampling timesand sampling rates applied in conjunction with particular mobile devicesensors may be different, the signal and sensor information as measuredduring a fingerprint calibration process may be time-averaged acrossparticular periods of time, with the time-averaged value being used torepresent the signal information at any given instance of time withinthat particular period of time in which the signal information is beingtime-averaged. Fingerprint data may be applied to create mobile deviceroute traversal data within, and even adjoining, the indoor facility.

In the case of the GPS data, the probabilistic weighting value for theGPS data may be based at least in part on any one, or a combination, ofa distance from a GPS determined location associated with thepositioning state to a boundary of the indoor facility, such as anexternal boundary wall, and a predetermined degree of accuracyassociated with the GPS signal. The degree of accuracy or credibilityassociated with the GPS signal may be assigned based on whether askylight or other opening exists directly overhead within the indoorfacility, or any other factors that might justify an expectation thatthe GPS signal is likely accurate and trustworthy while indoor.

Calculation of Wi-Fi connectivity probabilistic weighting value dependson the building's list of Wi-Fi access points relative to Wi-Fifingerprint data established for a given location in, or nearby, theindoor facility. In this approach, as each access point in or near aparticular building is localized, a confidence level may be assigned inregard to the localization accuracy, in accordance with the degree ofWi-Fi signal coverage, with more comprehensive signal coverage resultingin a higher Wi-Fi probabilistic weighting.

Calculation of probabilistic weighting value for the Wi-Fi scannedsignal strength also depends on the building's list of Wi-Fi accesspoints relative to Wi-Fi fingerprint data established for the givenlocation, associated with a confidence level for each Wi-Fi accesspoint. In each received signal strength (RSS) scan, if the scannedaccess point exists in the fingerprint map of the building accesspoints, and the confidence level of localized access point is higherthan a predetermined amount, the RSS value is passed to a function, forexample a piecewise linear function, to be converted to a weight. Theeffect of each scanned Wi-Fi RSS may be accumulative to calculate afinal probabilistic weighting value for the scanned Wi-Fi signals.

Calculation of the probabilistic weighting for scanned Bluetooth LowEnergy (BLE) beacons may be performed similarly as for the calculationof the scanned RSS Wi-Fi probabilistic weighting value. The BLE beaconmay pass one or a list of estimated positions with their confidencelevels to signal weightings module 211. In general, via mobile device101 signal strength sensors 205, more Wi-Fi and Bluetooth access pointsand BLE beacons are observed, and with stronger received signals whenthe mobile device 101 user is indoor compared to the outside.

Barometric pressure data and magnetic field data may be observed andprobabilistic weightings calculated in relation to barometric andmagnetic parameters in accordance with the fingerprint map of thefacility.

Ambient lighting level data associated with the indoor and outsidestates as observed by ambient lighting sensor of sensors 205 of mobiledevice 101 may be correlated with a time of day to calculate aprobabilistic weighting value.

A weighted sum value may then be calculated from the probabilisticweighting values, and applied in establishing a state transition value,above which the position state is represented as indoor, and below whichthe position state is represented as outside of the facility.

At step 330, detecting a transition in positioning state of mobiledevice 101 from one of the indoor and the outside locations to anotherof the indoor and the outside locations when a weighted sum value basedat least in part on the set of probabilistic weightings is one of aboveand below a predetermined state transition value. In one embodiment, thestate transition value may be predetermined, or set, at least in partempirically based on a calibration process involving known orpre-identified indoor/outside transition points and the determinedprobabilistic weightings based on measured values of the GPS data,ambient signal data, magnetometer data, barometric data, and inertialsensor data at the pre-identified transition points, or in the vicinityof those transition points. The state transition value may be aprobabilistic value predetermined or set as greater than zero but lessthan one, in an embodiment. The term ambient signal data, also referredto herein as ambient data, as used herein includes received signalstrength data and signal connectivity data related to wirelesscommunication protocols, including but not limited to Wi-Fi andBluetooth signals.

In another embodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioningstate is from the outside to the indoor location, initiate display of afacility layout map of the indoor location showing at least one of amobile device position and an estimated trajectory segment within theindoor location based on computations by the processor. The computationsmay be based on the inertial sensor data, the received signal strengthand signal connectivity data, the magnetic data, the barometric data,ambient lighting data and a historical set of trajectory data associatedwith the indoor location. The display of the facility layout mapincludes a map constraint feature including at least one of a doorway,an exit, a physical marker, an entrance, a wall, a stairwell, astairway, a corridor, an elevator, and a boundary outline of the indoorfacility.

In one embodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioningstate is from the indoor to the outside location, terminating thedisplay of the facility layout map, or displaying the map according toat least one of a reduced brightness level and a reduced intensitylevel, wherein electrical power consumed by the processor is reduced.

In another embodiment, upon detecting that the transition in positioningstate is from the indoor to the outside location, terminating thecomputations in processor 201 based on one or more of inertial sensordata, the received signal strength and connectivity data, the magneticdata, the ambient lighting data, the barometric data and the historicalset of trajectory data associated with the indoor location, againresulting in reduced electrical power consumed by processor 201.

It is contemplated for embodiments described herein to extend toindividual elements and concepts described herein, independently ofother concepts, ideas or system, as well as for embodiments to includecombinations of elements recited anywhere in this application. Althoughembodiments are described in detail herein with reference to theaccompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited to those precise embodiments. As such, many modifications andvariations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in this art.Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be definedby the following claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, it iscontemplated that a particular feature described either individually oras part of an embodiment can be combined with other individuallydescribed features, or parts of other embodiments, even if the otherfeatures and embodiments make no mention of the particular feature.Thus, the absence of describing combinations should not preclude theinventor from claiming rights to such combinations.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for detecting a transition inpositioning state of a mobile device relative to an indoor facility, themobile device having a processor and a memory, the method comprising:detecting, via one or more sensors of the mobile device, ambient data;determining respective weightings for the ambient data and GPS data ofthe mobile device, the ambient data including one or more of receivedsignal strength data and signal connectivity data, wherein therespective weightings for at least one of the signal strength data andthe signal connectivity data are assigned, by the processor, based on adegree of signal coverage established according to fingerprint data forthe indoor facility; and detecting, by the processor, the transition inpositioning state of the mobile device from one of an indoor and anoutside locations to another of the indoor and the outside locationswhen a weighted sum value of the respective weightings.
 2. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising detecting the transition from one of theindoor and the outside locations when the weighted sum value is one ofabove and below a predetermined state transition value.
 3. The method ofclaim 1 wherein the weighting for the GPS data is based at least in parton at least one of a distance from a GPS determined location associatedwith the positioning state to a boundary of the indoor facility and apredetermined degree of accuracy associated with the GPS signal.
 4. Themethod of claim 1 wherein, upon detecting, based on the monitoring, thepositioning state of the mobile device as the outside location,receiving at least one of magnetic data, inertial sensor data, signalstrength data, signal connectivity data and barometric data from a setof mobile device sensors.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the set ofmobile device sensors includes at least one of an accelerometer and agyroscope, and the inertial sensor data is acquired using the at leastone of the accelerometer and the gyroscope.
 6. The method of claim 4wherein, upon detecting that the transition in positioning state is fromthe outside to the indoor location, initiate display, at the mobiledevice, of a facility layout map of the indoor location showing at leastone of a mobile device position and an estimated trajectory segmentwithin the indoor location based on computations by the processor, thecomputations based on the at least one of inertial sensor data, thereceived signal strength and signal connectivity data, the magneticdata, the barometric data and a historical set of trajectory dataassociated with the indoor location.
 7. The method of claim 6 whereinthe display of the facility layout map illustrates a physical constraintfeature including at least one of a doorway, an exit, a physical marker,an entrance, a wall, a stairwell, a stairway, a corridor, an elevator,and a boundary outline of the indoor facility.
 8. The method of claim 6further comprising: detecting that the transition in positioning stateis from the indoor to the outside location; and at least one ofterminating the display of the facility layout map and displaying themap according to at least one of a reduced brightness level and areduced intensity level, wherein electrical power consumed by theprocessor is reduced.
 9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:detecting that the transition in positioning state is from the indoor tothe outside location; and terminating the computations in the processorbased on the at least one of inertial sensor data, the received signalstrength and connectivity data, the magnetic data, the barometric dataand the historical set of trajectory data associated with the indoorlocation.
 10. The method of claim 1 further comprising: determining,based on the GPS data, that the positioning state is the outsidelocation relative to the indoor facility; and selectively switching off,using the processor, a plurality of mobile device sensors upon which anyof the signal strength data, the signal connectivity data, ambientlighting data and barometric data are based.
 11. A mobile devicecomprising: a processor; a memory storing a set of instructions, theinstructions executable in the processor to: monitor, based at least inpart on global positioning system (GPS) data of the mobile device, for apositioning state of the mobile device relative to an indoor facility;detect, via one or more sensors of the mobile device, ambient data;determine respective weightings for the ambient data and the GPS data,the ambient data including one or more of received signal strength dataand signal connectivity data, wherein the respective weightings for atleast one of the signal strength data and the signal connectivity dataare assigned based on a degree of signal coverage established accordingto fingerprint data the indoor facility; and detect a transition inpositioning state of the mobile device from one of an indoor and anoutside locations to another of the indoor and the outside locationsbased on a weighted sum value of the respective weightings.
 12. Themethod of claim 11 further comprising instructions executable in theprocessor to detect the transition from one of the indoor and theoutside locations when the weighted sum value is one of above and belowa predetermined state transition value.
 13. The mobile device of claim11 wherein the weighting for the GPS data is based at least in part onat least one of a distance from a GPS determined location associatedwith the positioning state to a boundary of the indoor facility and apredetermined degree of accuracy associated with the GPS signal.
 14. Themobile device of claim 13 further comprising instructions executable inthe processor to: upon detecting, based on the monitoring, thepositioning state of the mobile device as the inside location, receivingat least one of magnetic data, inertial sensor data, signal strengthdata, signal connectivity data and barometric data from a set of mobiledevice sensors.
 15. The mobile device of claim 14 wherein the set ofmobile device sensors include at least one of an accelerometer and agyroscope, and the inertial sensor data is received using the at leastone of the accelerometer and the gyroscope.
 16. The mobile device ofclaim 15 further comprising instructions executable in the processor to:upon detecting that the transition in positioning state is from theoutside to the indoor location, initiate display, at the mobile device,of a facility layout map of the indoor location showing at least one ofa mobile device position and an estimated trajectory segment within theindoor location based on computations by the processor, the computationsbased on the at least one of inertial sensor data, the received signalstrength and signal connectivity data, the magnetic data, the barometricdata and a historical set of trajectory data associated with the indoorlocation.
 17. The mobile device of claim 16 wherein the display of thefacility layout map illustrates a physical constraint feature includingat least one of a doorway, an exit, a physical marker, an entrance, awall, a stairwell, a stairway, a corridor, an elevator, and a boundaryoutline of the indoor facility.
 18. The mobile device of claim 17further comprising instructions executable in the processor to: detectthat the transition in positioning state is from the indoor to theoutside location; and at least one of terminate the display of thefacility layout map and display the map according to at least one of areduced brightness level and a reduced intensity level, whereinelectrical power consumed by the processor is reduced.
 19. The mobiledevice of claim 18 further comprising instructions executable in theprocessor to: detect that the transition in positioning state is fromthe indoor to the outside location; and terminate the computations inthe processor based on the at least one of inertial sensor data, thereceived signal strength and connectivity data, the magnetic data, thebarometric data and the historical set of trajectory data associatedwith the indoor location.
 20. The mobile device of claim 11 furthercomprising instructions executable in the processor to: determine, basedon the GPS data, that the positioning state is the outside locationrelative to the indoor facility; and selectively switch off, using theprocessor, a plurality of mobile device sensors upon which any of thesignal strength data, the signal connectivity data, ambient lightingdata and barometric data are based.